First, The Leaf Blowers. Now The Leftovers: Cutting Waste In Lafayette One To-Go Box At A Time

LAMORINDA, CA — First, the leaf blowers. Now the leftovers. Lafayette is one of a growing number of cities chipping away at finding more earth-friendly ways of existing on planet earth by limiting waste. In this case, advocates are looking at limiting the byproducts of the nation's carry-out culture one to-go container at a time.

Many cities have switched to recyclable containers and require bins for garbage, recycling, and organics. The effectiveness of these measures, however, relies on consumer behavior. Advocates point out that alternatives, such as paper to-go boxes and bioplastic cutlery, often require more energy, water, and toxic chemicals to produce than single-use plastics. Meanwhile, organic materials sent to landfills generate methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

Maria Gastelumendi, the owner of Lafayette's Rising Loafer Café and Bakery on Mt. Diablo Boulevard, is testing a new approach similar to the way libraries check out books to readers.

Diners check out to-go containers.

In basic terms, users enroll, pay a deposit, check out the container, and return it by a deadline using an app and QR codes. Up to 5 containers can be checked out at a time. The refundable deposit encourages returns, helping keep containers in circulation and supporting ongoing reductions in single-use waste.

Gastelumendi introduced the check-out service, called FoodWare, at her restaurant after Mayor Cindy Darling asked Lafayette's Environmental Task Force to explore ways to reduce waste.

Gastelumendi sits on the task force, which on Thursday will discuss the approach and outreach to local restaurants.

Use and Return

Bay Area cities are launching campaigns to reduce trash with campaigns like San Ramon's Bring Your Own Containers and Albany. A reusable foodware system like the one being discussed Thursday is what StopWaste describes as a turn-key service, where the vendor provides dishware, inventory management, collection and washing of used dishes as well as redistribution of clean foodware for take-out and delivery of prepared food. But the overall goal is the same — to reduce waste by encouraging more sustainable foodware in restaurants.

The American Restaurant Association estimates that 11.4 million tons of food are wasted in the United States each year, driving up costs on both sides of the counter. Food waste also contributes to global warming primarily through the production of greenhouse gases during the growing process and, most significantly, from the decomposition of food waste in landfills, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. So, to-go containers seem like an ideal solution, and cities have mandates on the books requiring them.

But paper and plastic drive carbon emissions, from extraction and manufacturing to transportation and disposal. Consumers who replace plastic food storage containers with glass may not think twice when accepting leftovers or delivery in a paper or plastic box. And, although almost all recycling operations result in energy savings, the amount of energy saved depends on the material being recycled, as the American Geosciences Institute put it. Notwithstanding the energy used in recycling, to-go containers tossed into recycling bins might end up in the garbage if not properly disposed of.

Food tech startups like FoodWare spotted a niche opportunity among restaurants looking for ways to reduce costs and their environmental footprint, offering customers reusable cups at the point of sale that can be returned at kiosks or bins. Some provided reusable take-out containers at restaurants in New York City, California, and in between, as well as at select Whole Foods stores.

Others, like FoodWare, opted to provide stainless steel containers on college campuses, in large venues, in restaurants, and in institutions. They are voluntary programs, but create a kind of loop that the others do not.

For their part, restaurants are embracing foodware approaches to save money and to become more responsible environmental stewards. But, even for advocates, the longevity of food tech start-ups is something to consider. Some early ones have hit pause, shut down their services, or been acquired by bigger operations leaving outdated websites and vague messages about the future, for reasons that are not immediately clear.

Gastelumendi is willing to try because the approach aligns with efforts by she and her husband, co-owner Ahmed Shiblin, to adopt green restaurant practices. Over the years, they swapped Styrofoam products for ceramic plates and silverware, installed low-flow faucets and toilets, replaced light bulbs, and started recycling everything possible. Sourcing is done as locally as possible. They bake their own bread. The tables are made out of old doors. She championed Lafayette's 2024 gas leaf blower ordinance. She rejected plastic options for the FoodWare program in favor of the metal containers.

The goal is a circular economy of goods and services. With more subscribers, she said she could get closer. Currently she has only one (this reporter). Rising Loafer regulars haven't taken to the program, Gastelumendi said, adding that it might be because they aren't accustomed to using phone apps or don't want to check out containers they have to return. So she still uses paper to-go boxes. "I have to accept some things," she said. "But, I don't have a lot of food to go."

The Lafayette Environmental Task Force meeting is 7 p.m. on Thursday at 3675 Mt. Diablo Blvd, Room 240.